Home and Garden briefs: Surprise! Flower show at Tulip Time

This year's show, titled "Reading in the Garden," will feature floral designs that interpret book and reading themes, horticulture specimens and special exhibits. Nationally accredited flower show judges will judge the show, which is free to attend.

Hours are 2-9 p.m. Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday-Friday, and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. See it at the Holland Area Arts Council, 150 E. Eighth St.

The center is at 640 Fifth St. NW. Also, a rummage sale will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

Learn about local parksChip Francke, an interpretive naturalist, will give a free program, "A Naturalist's Guide to Ottawa County Parks," at 7 p.m. May 11 at the Nature Education Center.

He will talk about the best places for birding, wildflowers and hiking on county property. The center is at Hemlock Crossing Park, at 8151 W. Olive Road, West Olive.

Greener cleaningThe green gurus at modernecohomes.com have this advice to green up your spring cleaning:

Shop smarter. Knowing which so-called eco-friendly products are the most environmentally friendly can be tricky. GoodGuide.com is a website that rates products, including household cleaners, based on how green they are.

Use your cell-phone apps. Plastic Recycler tells you which types of plastics can be recycled, and Local Reuse connects those looking for the ultimate bargain (read: free) on items that otherwise would end up in a landfill. You can list your items up for grabs or enter your ZIP code to see what is available in your area. And iRecycle is Earth911's free app that helps you find local recycling centers.

Look for greener cleaners. If a cleaning service is more up your alley, GenGreenLife.com, the online local green business directory, can connect you with cleaning services in your area that specialize in eco-friendly products and practices.

Change the filter

Is your home ready for summer? You can lower your energy consumption, and possibly your energy bills, by simply maintaining the furnace and air-conditioning filter on a regular basis. Set a schedule for changing the filter, and place a reminder where you can see it.

Or get a "free filter change reminder" from iaqsource.com. It will remind you by e-mail when it's time for a filter change.